I made a few changes (noted below) to this recipe from David Tanis which appeared in The New York Times.
Ingredients
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 thyme sprig
- Salt and pepper
- 12 large shrimp, about 1 pound, preferably wild (I used cooked shrimp.)
- 6 small yellow or red beets (I left these out; I love them but could not find at store.)
- 2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces (1 cup) crème fraîche (I used Greek Yogurt)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 4 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish (I used prepared)
- 1 tablespoon capers, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 4 handfuls watercress, tops only, about 6 ounces (I used green from my garden–Arugula, Mesculin and Beet greens….plus, I added a cucumber and sugar snap peas from my garden.)
- 1 cup sliced celery, from tender inner stalks
- 4 eggs, hard cooked for 9 minutes then cooled in ice water, peeled and halved (I left out)
Preparation
- 1.
- Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add bay leaf, thyme sprig, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to a simmer and add shrimp. Cook shrimp until shells turn red, only a minute or two. Transfer to a large bowl of cold water, let cool, then peel and set aside.
- 2.
- Meanwhile, put beets in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook at a brisk simmer until tender when tested with a skewer, about 20 minutes. Remove and let cool on a plate until just cool enough to touch. Slip off beet skins and discard. Cut beets into small wedges. Put in a bowl, season generously with salt and pepper, and add vinegar and oil. Toss and let marinate for 15 minutes. (You may prepare beets up to a day ahead.)
- 3.
- Make the rémoulade: Stir together crème fraîche, mustard, cayenne, horseradish and capers. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and stir in tarragon, parsley and dill. Refrigerate for an hour (or as long as overnight). Just before serving, stir in lemon juice and check seasoning.
- 4.
- Assemble the salad just before serving: Make a bed of watercress on a large platter. Spoon beets and any juices evenly over watercress, then sprinkle celery slices over top. Arrange shrimp here and there and surround with hard-cooked egg halves. Give a last, very light sprinkle of salt and serve. Pass rémoulade at the table.
- YIELD
- 4 to 6 servings
Bruce Barone 